Travers weekend.
Starts Friday night at Siro’s, best joint in America. Saturday night on Caroline street. Walking on Broadway. Beautiful artsy statues of horses on the sidewalks. Street performers, with little talent trying to make weed money.
Saturday at the track. Crowd buzzing. Women wearing their finest with colorful hats. Saratoga is famous for hats, seemingly every other store selling hats.
3rd race, young 2 year old, Ludicrous , breaks leg right in front of the grandstand near the finish line. Hideous sight. Think Joe Theismann. Only they didn’t put Joe down. They used a large tarp to cover the area around the horse. Probably euthanized the poor animal, carted off by van. Very disturbing. I thought of when I witnessed the beautiful championship filly, Go for Wand, breaking down in the stretch in a furious duel with the great mare, Bayakoa, in the 1990 Breeder’s Cup at Belmont Park. Go for Wand flipped over in a spectacular horrific fall. Fans sobbed openly, knowing her life would soon be over. Both today’s horse and the beautiful Go for Wand broke down in the stretch right in front of thousands of traumatized fans. Tears again. But we keep going to the track because we know that these awesome thoroughbreds are born to run. Fast. The great champions are born also to compete to the wire, with great hearts, to win. You’ve heard of having the heart of a champion. Comes from horses, from Hidalgo to Secretariat.
After betting 11 races and cashing a few tix, my bankroll was holding steady. Race 12. The Travers. My best buddy, a beginner handicapper, liked and bet a 19 to 1 longshot, V.E.Day. I liked V.E.Day to compete but not to win. I really liked the Boston horse, Wicked Strong. I bet him heavy, but also used V.E.Day in perfectas with Wicked Strong. I’m not sure if I used V.E.Day because of my friend or just my own brilliant handicapping. Close race approaching the top of the stretch when Wicked Strong made his move, clearing the field. He was home free, with the other competing horses knowing they were beaten. Then suddenly a lone challenger, longshot V.E.Day, appeared as if out of the dusk, charging down the stretch. Giving chase to the supposed winner. The crowd went crazy, knowing they were now going to witness a compelling finish. Wicked Strong forged forward boldly, with V.E.Day exploding after him. V.E.Day was running faster, but Wicked Strong was still clearly ahead and courageously, like a champion, was not going to give in to fatigue until the wire. With 100 yards to go, V.E.Day had a chance. As a lifelong sports fan, the most exciting moment in all of sports is the finish of a championship race between 2 great horses competing, desperate, flailing at each other. Think Ali / Frazier, when both faced death over15 cruel rounds.
Too close to call!!!
Waiting. Waiting.
V.E.Day by a nose!!!
Whenever a longshot wins a big race, especially a close one, the crowd is quietly spent after screaming their lungs out for 2 minutes. But you still hear the lucky few loudly squealing in delight, because if you bet V.E.Day, you won big. I screamed but I didn’t squeal. I did cash a big ticket on the perfecta, V.E.Day and Wicked Strong. I always bet perfectas both ways. My horse was Wicked Strong. I threw in V.E.Day because my rookie buddy picked him. Better to be lucky than good.
Finally, I will probably bet Wicked Strong in the Breeders Cup championship on November 1. Most bettors will put their money on California Chrome and Shared Belief, and maybe even Tonalist. But Wicked Strong danced every dance and still ran brilliantly in the Travers. Rest him and he’ll be ready for a big effort in the Breeders Cup.
Saturday night on Broadway. Eating al fresco at Max London’s, people watching. Bar hopping on Caroline street. 20 something drunken girls with very short skirts dancing and hanging in bar windows , flirting with drunken 20 something boys. And it’s only 930. I was curious to see the scene at midnight. I’m still curious. In bed by 10, wiped out by a long day at the track.
Sunday morning, brunch at the Saratoga Country Club. Last year Jerry Bailey was there with his family. So was Bill Parcells, holding court at the bar. I’m not a celebrity sycophant , but I was tempted to approach him and tell him how much Pats fans appreciate what he did for us. Regret not doing it.
5 hour drive home, get ready for work on Monday. One great weekend a year.
Travers weekend.